


Face First

by LinksLipsSinkShips



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Drunkenness, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Rating May Change, Recreational Drug Use, Shotgunning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-21 00:37:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12445506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinksLipsSinkShips/pseuds/LinksLipsSinkShips
Summary: Isak's blackout drunk and has an unorthodox way of meeting Even.





	1. Chapter 1

_ Seasick _ . If Isak could pick a single word to describe how he felt in that moment, it was seasick. Could one be seasick while firmly on land? He wasn’t sure, but he sure as hell knew he didn’t know the last time he’d been this drunk. Yeah, he’d had beers with friends, partied, all of that, but right now, he was nearly blackout drunk. Damn, it was taking a toll on him. The crowd surged and jumped with the music, and it felt like it was getting louder.  _ Is it really getting louder? Or am I just hella drunk?  _ At least Isak was still upright, but he couldn’t stay in here much longer. He really, really needed to get the fuck out of there before he lost it.

He looked at his feet, doing his best to keep one foot in front of the other while his hands grabbed at random strangers in the crowd, no one noticing as he did his best to keep himself from falling over. He reached a wall, then a doorway, then fresh air,  _ finally _ .

On the sidewalk, he paused, nearly falling to his knees as he heaved into the grass beside him. His head was pounding. Could he be hungover and drunk at once? How much had he drank? Isak wasn’t sure about any of it, and for a moment, he contemplated lying down in the grass for a bit to compose himself. It was cold, though, he could see his breath. If he passed out in the grass, he might not wake up, so he let his hazy mind take him in the general direction of the Kollectiv, slow steps along a path, knowing that if he could manage to get himself there, Eskild would probably take pity on him, get him to bed with water and something for his headache.  _ If  _ he could get there.

He reached the curb, stumbling as his feet started to seek the ground. His eyes refused to focus, and before he knew it, he was toppling forward, unable to stop himself, to put hands out to keep him upright. There was nothing to grab onto anyway, so he let himself fall.

“Easy there, that’s usually a move people reserve for after the third date.” There was laughter in the voice of… whatever -- whoever -- Isak had fallen onto.

Isak was on the ground, face-first against tight jeans. He started to right himself, strong hands helping him turn, focus upwards, face no longer in someone’s crotch. Suddenly, he was staring into the bluest eyes he’d ever seen, the face of a stranger. The stranger said something, but he couldn’t quite make it out. He shook his head, eyes struggling for focus. “What?”

“I said, are you okay?” The question was sincere, not incredulous or rude despite Isak’s unusual way of greeting this stranger, drunk and in his lap.

“I… um. I’m sorry.” Isak tried to stand up, but couldn’t quite manage himself to his feet. The stranger held him there, looking up to his friends, then back at Isak.

“Go on, then, I’ll catch up later.” For a second, Isak wondered if he was talking to him, but instead, his friends spoke general goodbyes in their direction and their voices grew distant. The stranger stayed, shifting Isak out of his lap, then standing and reaching a hand down to help him up. Isak took his hand.

“I’m Even. Do you live around here?” His voice was deep, rough from the cold night air. Isak nodded in response, turning his head one way, then the other, suddenly confused on where he was and where the Kollectiv might be in relation to his current coordinates. “Okay, then. Looks like it’s back to my place. Come on.” Even guided Isak’s hand to his shoulder, letting Isak rest his full weight against him.

“Thank you,” Isak said quietly, as embarrassed as he could be when he was this fucking drunk.  _ Fucking great first impression, Isak. Way to go.  _ “Sorry for, uh…”

“Diving face-first toward my dick? No worries.” Even laughed it off, continuing to walk, holding Isak up, pausing for a few minutes for Isak to throw up into some random bushes at one point.

Even was thankful he lived nearby, because Isak was quickly becoming dead weight on his arm. He unlocked the door quickly, leaning Isak against a wall as he closed the door behind him. He hollered into the apartment, knowing he’d get no answer. His parents were away for a weekend trip, leaving him alone. Even moved Isak from the wall to the couch, placing an empty trash bin beside him as he quickly went to his room to lay out blankets and pillows on the floor for Isak to sleep. It only took a few minutes, but when he returned, Isak was snoring softly on the couch.

_ No point in moving him _ , Even thought, questioning whether or not he could wake him if he tried. Isak had been pretty drunk, so it hardly seemed worth the effort. Instead, Even gathered the blankets from his room, tossing them over Isak and trying to tuck him in without getting too touchy feely. He placed his own blanket on the floor beside Isak. If he woke up, alone on the couch in a strange place, Even worried he’d freak out or try to leave before he’d sobered up, which hardly seemed like a good idea. Even didn’t feel right about returning to his room, and it definitely meant that he was skipping the party.

His phone pinged, and he checked to see that he’d missed multiple texts before the newest one that set his phone dinging.

 

**Where are you?**

**Are you coming back?**

**What the fuck, man?**

**Did you die?**

 

**_Sorry. Guy who fell on me had no clue where he lived. Took him back to mine, going to stay with him. Next weekend?_ **

 

Even switched his phone to silent, deciding he was done answering questions about taking some random drunk guy home. He wasn’t tired, instead was already too hyped for the party, but he laid there and closed his eyes anyway. Eventually, sleep washed over him.

“What the  _ fuck _ ?” Even exclaimed, shrugging a body off of him somewhere around four in the morning. He blinked his eyes, struggling to figure out what happened, then remembering the events from a few hours before. He tried his best to wriggle out from under the mostly-limp and still entirely asleep boy that had landed on him. There was no way he could get this guy back on the couch, so he laid there, trying to put a few inches of distance between them without giving up the warmth of the blankets he’d been sleeping on and under on the floor.

Even tried to go back to sleep, he really did, but it was all so… so  _ distracting. _ His eyes drifted over the quiet, still person beside him. Soft curls fell on his face, and he had a few dots of freckles that were… far too adorable for Even to let himself think about too much. And now, he looked so peaceful, so different from the sloppy mess he’d been when they’d met, face-to-crotch somehow. It was certainly an original way of meeting someone, somewhere right up there with the meet cute in Moulin Rouge but not quite Romeo and Juliet quality.

_ God, Even, this isn’t a movie. _ He rolled his eyes at his own thoughts, knowing that soon, this boy would wake and he’d leave and Even would probably not see him again. Even scrunched his face, trying to remember what color the boy’s eyes had been. In the darkness, they could have been anything. Brown, maybe green?

His thoughts on how attractive this guy was were interrupted by the toxic wave of vodka breath he breathed straight into Even’s face. Even’s eyes watered as he put a few extra inches of space between them. He couldn’t help but smile still, despite the horrible breath. A large part of Even wanted to wrap his arms around him, protect him, but… that seemed downright creepy given the circumstances. Instead, he just laid there and studied his jawline, the slope of his nose. Even thought about life and about missing the party, about how life would change now that he was going to a new school. Hopefully, things would improve. The sun started to rise, rays peeking through the windows of the room. In his sleep, the guy he’d brought home shifted slightly, and it caused his curls to fall further into his face.

Without thinking, Even reached out and brushed the curl away, tucking it behind his ear instead. He opened his eyes and blinked as Even jerked his hand back to himself.

“Halla?” the boy mumbled, looking around the room trying to figure out where he was.

“Halla,” Even said, his voice a near-whisper.

“Where… where am I?” The boy sat himself up, propping up on his elbows before being hit with a sudden wave of nausea and lying back down.

“My flat,” Even replied. “I’m Even. I told you last night, but…” he trailed off.

“Isak. Did we… oh gosh, did we…?” Isak’s eyes grew wide, and it stirred something in Even, answering a question he didn’t realize he was silently asking himself.

“Oh! No. We didn’t. You were pretty much blacked out.” Even wanted to make it clear that it was only because Isak was so drunk that they didn’t, because if Isak was letting the implication hang in the air that he thought Even was someone he might have hooked up with, Even wasn’t exactly going to shut down the implication that he kind of wanted to. Sure, Isak was a stranger, but Even had made worse mistakes. Maybe, just maybe, when Isak was sober, they’d find a way to connect.

“Okay,” Isak exhaled, relieved. He turned to look at Even. He couldn’t remember much about the night before, hadn’t even recalled Even’s name until he told him again. But damn, those blue eyes were unforgettable. Had he dreamed Even moving his hair earlier? He didn’t think so. They were close enough that Even could have done it. They were  _ really  _ close, actually, and for a long time, they stared at each other, neither making a move to put distance between themselves, neither of them willing to break this strange spell that had fallen over them for a moment.

“Thanks for bringing me home,” Isak said quietly.

“It was the least I could do after the way we met. I mean, when someone decides to meet your dick face-first in the middle of the street, it’s basic human decency to invite them back to your place.” Even raised an eyebrow mischievously.

“I did  _ what?!” _ Isak sat up again, far too fast, and reached out to steady himself, and somehow managing to rest his hand right on Even’s arm.

“I’m kidding. Well, actually, I’m not kidding. You tripped and you fell, and you landed face-first in my crotch. But you were drunk, so I don’t really blame you. My jeans definitely do me some favors, so I get you wanting to meet them up close and personal.”

“Fy faen,” Isak groaned, collapsing back down and throwing an arm over his eyes in shame. “And you still walked me home? Are you  _ insane _ ?”

“Maybe,” Even said softly.

“Well, uh. Thanks.” Isak asked for directions toward the street he lived on, not really sure where he was at the moment.

“I can walk you home. Or you can go shower first if you’d like-- it’s up the corridor, first door on the left. If you want…” Even was trying to prolong it. He didn’t know why, but he felt less alone just having someone else in the flat with him. It was silly, but Even couldn’t shake the feeling anyway. Isak nodded and accepted the invitation to shower gratefully.

“There’s mouthwash near the sink!” Even called after Isak, remembering the nauseating vodka-breath he’d had overnight. Isak closed the bathroom door, peeling his clothes off and setting them in a pile on the floor. He set the temperature to the shower, then stepped in, the water washing away the alcohol clinging to his skin from last night’s party, the shame he felt for how he’d apparently met Even, and the worry he had that he’d said or done something stupid while drunk, as if anything he could of done would have been worse than what Even had already filled him in on. Lost in his thoughts and focused on the shower, Isak was startled by a knock at the door.

“Isak? I’m setting some clothes near the sink, okay? They should fit you, I think we’re around the same size.”

“Okay, thanks,” Isak replied before the door closed again. He finished his shower, then toweled off, pulling on the clothes that Even had left for him. They were soft, and they smelled of something… something lovely. Isak wondered if this was what Even smelled like, clean and vibrant. He wondered if they’d met under different circumstances, one where Isak wasn’t so drunk and sloppy, if they’d have gone home together sometime. Not in a “you’re blackout drunk and I have no choice” way, but an “I want to hook up with you” way. He kicked himself for blowing his chances, wishing he’d gotten the opportunity to find out if they had a decent connection.  _ What are you thinking, Isak? Going home with him… you’re  _ not  _ gay... _

He grabbed his clothes, folding them and carrying them out of the bathroom with him. He went in search of Even in the living room, hoping to thank him and say goodbye, but Even was nowhere to be found. Instead, Isak followed the smell of eggs and the sound of some Gabrielle song playing in the kitchen.  _ Gabrielle, really?  _ Isak wrinkled his nose. Maybe he dodged a bullet after all, he thought with an eye roll, but he couldn’t help but smirk as he saw Even shaking his hips to the beat in the kitchen. Isak cleared his throat.

“Isak! You hungry? Come taste this.” Even lifted a spatula toward Isak, cupping his hand under it and indicating Isak should take a bite. His stomach growled, so he did as Even wanted.

“It’s good,” Isak nodded with a smile. Even turned off the burner and divided the eggs onto two plates, toast with cheese beside them. Two small pills sat on the edge of one plate, which even passed to him.

“For your headache. I’m assuming you have one, given how you looked last night.”

“Thanks,” Isak nodded, following Even to the table. He sat down and dry-swallowed the pills, then ate his eggs. “How should I, uh… how should I get your clothes back to you? Or do you want to follow me home? You can wait while I change and then I can give them back right away.”

“You go to Nissen, right?” It was a stab in the dark on Even’s part, but it  _ had  _ been a Nissen party he’d ventured toward last night, so the odds were good that Isak went there.

“Yeah,” Isak said.

“Now I do, too. I’ll find you once school starts. You can give them to me then.”

Isak wondered what reason he’d give to his friends that he was returning some guy’s clothing. Even didn’t seem likely to let him off the hook, though, so he figured he had time to sort something out. Maybe he could say it was someone who hooked up with Eskild, or just tell the truth-- that he was wearing the clothes after the party. He wondered if they’d buy any of it. Either way, the eggs were good, and Even’s company was better, so he pushed all of his worry about what his friends thought out of his mind, determined to at least enjoy breakfast.

* * *

 

“Oh my god, Eskild,  _ what _ ?” Isak huffed. Eskild had been leaning against his doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, for three or four minutes and had yet to say a single word to Isak, just looked at him like he was waiting for something.

“Oh, I was just wondering if you were going to fill me in on last night or not.” Eskild waved his hand, like it should have been obvious to Isak, and it was, but Isak didn’t want to give in that easily.

“There’s nothing to fill in. I went to a party.” He rolled his eyes.

“You went to a party. And then you didn’t come home from that party. And then when you  _ did  _ come home this afternoon, you were in another guy’s clothes. And you smelled… very unlike yourself. So whoever he is, he smells good.” Eskild narrowed his eyes.

“It’s not an exciting story. I was drunk, I couldn’t figure out where I was, so I crashed at a friend’s place. It’s not a big deal, Eskild.”

“A friend? What friend? Jonas? Magnus?” Eskild was not letting up on his interrogation anytime soon, and Isak was at the end of his patience with the guessing game. He stood up and walked to his door.

“You don’t know him. And I’m still hungover, so you’re leaving now.” Eskild sighed at Isak’s statement and stepped out of the door.

“Fine, well, when you want to spill details, I’ll be in the kitchen making tea.”

Isak closed the door behind Eskild, and smiled to himself. Even, his name was Even. Isak settled onto his bed, pulling out his phone and searching. A first name made it hard to find Even on social media, and Isak wasn’t really sure what his plan of attack was if he  _ did  _ find him. There was no way he was going to send him a friend request or follow him. A little sleuthing never hurt anyone, though, except Even was nowhere to be found online.  _ It’s for the best _ , Isak thought.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

There was  _ no way  _ Isak was going to drink as much as he had the last party. But there was no reason he couldn’t take the edge off a little, and that’s what led him to where he was now… sitting in a bathtub, smoking pot from an improvised bong. He passed it to Jonas and stood.

“I’m going to grab another beer.” He said he was going to go  _ light,  _ not stop drinking that weekend altogether. But not three steps out of the bathroom, Isak tripped over someone’s foot, falling forward. Strong, steady hands grabbed him, catching him before he could fall too far, standing him upright again.

“Falling for me again already?” Even joked.

Isak blushed furiously, hoping the dim lighting would hide it somewhat.  _ Faen!  _ Instead of trying to save the conversation, to explain he wasn’t drunk, that he’d just tripped, Isak shook his head and walked away without a word in response to Even, not a single expression of gratitude or apology. He was embarrassed as hell, and he couldn’t figure out what to say. So he said nothing, bolting through the crowd, away from Even, away from the bathroom, away from anyone who might see him reacting at all to what just happened.

Even’s head was spinning. Had he said something wrong? Was Isak avoiding him? He was just trying to be funny, not to make things awkward. He wandered through a crowd, leaning against the wall and scanning to see if he recognized anyone aside from Sana. It was another Nissen party, and he knew he’d eventually probably know these people well, but for now, he felt out of place.

Through the crowd, his eyes met Isak’s. He’d been crowd-scanning, and to have Isak look him straight in the face must have meant Isak was looking anyway. Even stared back,  _ hard  _ making sure Isak knew he’d caught him looking. He raised an eyebrow, a challenge, and Isak instantly turned away. Even looked away, too, but soon caught himself staring again, and this time, it was Isak who caught him in the act instead of the other way around.

Even nodded his head in the direction of a nearby corridor, encouraging Isak to follow. He didn’t look to see if Isak would, simply nodded and walked off in that direction, then waited, hoping Isak would choose to.

“Halla,” Isak said, just barely loud enough to be heard over the music.

“Halla. I just wanted to tell you, I changed my mind.”

“About?” Isak looked confused, his eyebrows furrowed.

“My clothes. I need them sooner than I thought. Bring them over tomorrow?” Even knew there was a very good chance it wouldn’t work, that Isak would say no or make him wait. But he was pretty sure Isak wouldn’t want to explain why he had the clothes in the first place. It gave Isak a chance to bring them back privately, and Even a chance to get Isak alone, spend time with him again.

“I haven’t had time to wash them yet.”

“That’s okay. Just bring them. I have laundry to do anyway,” Even shrugged casually. Even had only ever smelled Isak when he had horrible vodka breath or when he smelled like Even’s soap, so Even was almost hoping Isak hadn’t washed the clothes, so he could smell _him_. Really, anything to get Isak as close to him as possible would be fine.

“What time?”

“16:00”

“Okay. I have to go,” Isak said, disappearing into the crowd before Even could even say goodbye.

* * *

 

The buzzer rang.  _ Holy shit, he actually came, _ Even thought as he opened the door to find Isak shifting his weight from one foot to another, standing there awkwardly, the clothes he was returning tucked under his arm.

“Halla,” Isak managed, then bit his lip.

“Hal _ la _ ,” Even replied, emphasizing the last syllable as he looked Isak up and down. Isak blushed and passed the clothes toward Even without a word, taking a step back as if to leave. Even was about to lose his moment with Isak before he’d really even gotten it.

“Come here. I want to show you something.” Even was going to force it, to make Isak come in, and when he did, Isak turned for a second, like he was considering that maybe Even didn’t mean  _ him  _ but instead someone behind him, around him, anyone  _ but  _ him. Even reached out, touched Isak’s arm gently, making it clear that yes, Isak had heard correctly, and yes, he wanted him to come in. Isak stepped inside nervously, lingering by the door to the point Even almost couldn’t close it behind him. “You coming?” Even added as he walked toward his room, because clearly he needed to spell everything out for Isak at this point.

Isak followed Even into his bedroom, looking around at taped-up drawings on the wall as Even scrambled through drawers. For a moment, Isak wondered if Even had anything to show him at all, or if he’d just made something up to get him inside and would find  _ something  _ to show Isak at some point. He was about to call Even on his bluff when Even pulled a small tin out of the back of a drawer, out from under some socks.  _ Maybe he wasn’t lying after all _ . Isak wasn’t sure if he was disappointed that Even really did have a reason to have him come inside instead of making up any excuse to spend time together. Then he wondered why he cared so much.

“Aha! Here it is.” Even popped open the tin to reveal papers and pot, and Isak thought his afternoon might have just taken a turn for the better. Weed was good, but smoking someone else’s weed was far better. Even rolled a joint and lit it, passing it to Isak and settling himself down in the wide windowsill. The two sat and smoked, passing the joint back and forth, talking about their favorite music and sharing stories.

“About gone, isn’t it?” Even looked at the last of the joint between his fingers.

“Yeah.”

“We could share it,” Even raised his eyebrows.

“Share it?” Isak looked skeptical.

“Yeah, here.” Even took a long drag of the joint, extinguishing it as he leaned forward toward Isak. Isak didn’t move. Even reached out, taking Isak’s hoodie strings and tugging them gently, indicating Isak should lean forward, too; he couldn’t give verbal instructions with his mouth full of smoke. It felt like it took an eternity, but it lasted only a second or two. It finally clicked with Isak, and he let himself fall into it. His lips grazed Even’s as Even exhaled into his mouth. Isak pulled back first, trying to play it cool like he hadn’t just felt the surge of energy between them, like this was the most normal thing in the world, to breathe in the smoke from Even’s mouth, the way they had touched and the way Even had pulled him in.  _ We just shared the last of the pot, that’s all it was. It didn’t mean anything, don’t be stupid, Isak. _

“I… uh…” Isak stammered. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know if he should leave now, if he should stay, if he should say something else. “Thanks.”  _ Idiot. _

“You know what sounds good? Cheese sandwiches.” Even slid off the windowsill and walked toward the kitchen without waiting for Isak to follow. Isak did, though, standing in the doorway of the kitchen, trying to figure out what Even wanted, if he wanted Isak to stay or leave, to sit or stand, to… to what? Even just… just did things, and waited for Isak to catch up.

“Come help me,” Even said, and Isak walked over, trying to figure out why the heck Even would need help with something as simple as a cheese sandwich.

“Help you?”

“Yeah, help me decide what else to put on these.”  _ What else to put on these? Was Even high? Oh. Right.  _ Isak shook his head. Cheese sandwiches were simple… cheese, bread, bake.

“You know what would be funny?” Isak snorted, laughing at himself over what he planned to say next. “If we put all of the spices on it.” He was doing his best to point out how ridiculous it was that Even was asking for help with something as simple as a cheese sandwich, not catching that Even was simply inviting him to stay and relax, to stop standing in the doorway awkwardly.

“ _ All  _ the spices?” Even raised an eyebrow, grinning mischievously.

“Sure, why not? All of them.” Isak re-stated, and Even opened a cabinet to reveal jars and jars of spices.

“Even cinnamon?” Even asked.

“Oh, especially cinnamon.”

“Cardamom?”

“Definitely cardamom. Have you never made a cheese-toast-with-all-the-spices before, Even?” Isak joked, as if putting cinnamon and cardamom and twelve other spices on toast was the most normal thing in the world, a recipe he made on a regular basis. The two set about opening jars, shaking out spices onto each piece of bread and cheese. More than once, their hands brushed as they reached for the same jar at the same time. Isak couldn’t help but feel a fluttering in his stomach each time it happened.

“So what now?” Even asked, reaching the last of the spices.

“Bake them, I guess.”

“Right! We bake!” Even placed the toast in the oven, knowing it would taste positively awful, but not really caring. He stood just too close to Isak in the open, empty apartment. Neither of them took a step apart, instead standing there, closer than either of them knew was normal for any two people to stand.

“You know,” Even’s voice was low as he spoke, “we had a pretty unique meet cute.”

“Meet cute?”  _ What the  _ fuck  _ is a meet cute? _ Isak wondered.

“You know, it’s that moment when two people in a movie meet, and it’s adorable, and you realize they’re destined to be together or something. It’s that part of the movie where the leads are introduced to each other, and it’s generally interesting. Like, uh… two dogs tangling their owners together, or like… like in Romeo and Juliet, the fish tank scene!” Even explained. “Or, well, when some guy is hopelessly drunk and falls face-first into another guy’s lap. That would be a meet cute.”

“It doesn’t sound very cute to me,” Isak said, looking down at his feet. “Sounds pretty sloppy.”

Surely Even was joking, surely he didn’t mean that Isak was the love interest in the imaginary movie in Even’s mind. It had to be another way to make fun of how drunk Isak had been when they’d met, how ridiculous the scene was.

“Hey,” Even said, ducking his head to meet Isak’s eyes. He brushed his fingertips along Isak’s jawline, trying to get him to look up. “I thought it was cute. I thought  _ you  _ were cute.” Isak’s eyes flashed up to meet Even’s clear blue gaze. It was in that moment that Isak realized that, having already literally fallen for Even twice, he might actually fall for him in  _ that  _ sense eventually, too.

Even moved slightly closer to Isak, and Isak started toward Even. Their lips were so close that they could feel each other’s breath on their lips. Even licked his lips and started to lean in when the oven timer beeped.

**Author's Note:**

> This hasn't been beta read, so... my apologies. Please feel free to point out any glaring errors and I'd be happy to fix them.


End file.
